ArtSlut

"El Show de Oprah" by Sofia Garcia

Another Oprah convert. Or rather, this is why people watch Oprah: despair, that feeling of being trapped. If we only did what Oprah told us to do we would much, much happier. Free us from the shadows, Oh Oprah

Sofia Garcia is certainly making us think here with this wonderful character development (I can just see her sitting in front of the television). What do you think happens?

Send in those stories, all: flashfiction@sacurrent.com

—Lyle Rosdahl

"El Show de Oprah" by Sofia Garcia

Oprah was right. What she said about controlling husbands on today’s show was exactly what Beto was doing and she had had enough. And if she wanted to get to her mom’s house, she would need to leave now because the show ended at 4:00 and Beto would be home by 4:30; if he didn’t stop for beers.

She had thirty minutes—maybe less—before he got home and he would be furious if she told him that according to Oprah, he was “manipulative and possessive.” According to Oprah, “he had difficulty expressing his emotions and insecurities, and this manifested itself through his controlling behavior.” She didn’t understand everything Oprah had said, but she recognized Beto when she described men like him.

As it was, she couldn’t tell him where she heard it, because he had told her more than once that she couldn’t watch the show. And if she even mentioned Oprah’s name, he would fume in anger and threaten to throw out the TV. He thought that Oprah was putting ideas in her head and who the hell was she to think that she knew any better than him. “Esta pendeja la pinche vieja,” was what he said.

So she gathered her clothes as quickly as she could and headed out. She wouldn’t do the laundry, rub his feet, cook him dinner and wash the dishes tonight. She wouldn’t even leave a note because Oprah said it wasn’t necessary. Oprah said that she needed to make a statement: “Let him know you mean business, sister,” she remembered her saying. She said it was important to make a clean break.

Beto would need to learn that he couldn’t control her anymore, and maybe he would if he wasn’t so stubborn and watched the show. Oprah would teach him. If he would only watch the show, he would see?with his own eyes?that Oprah was right and she only wanted them to be happy.